Buying Guides

home library: homemade cleaners

Buying Guides

home library: homemade cleaners

I'm far from an earth goddess, but I do worry about the chemicals I come in contact with – especially in my
cleaning products. In the last decade, there's been a clear shift toward greener horizons in the home-cleaning category. But, for the most part, the price points are still higher than conventional products and, in a world of deceptive ad lingo, I always wonder just how environmentally friendly the products are. Well, in their book
Homemade Cleaners, authors Mandy O'Brien and Dionna Ford have got the answer: make your own cleaning products from recognizable ingredients, most of which are already in your kitchen cabinets. [caption id="attachment_28437" align="aligncenter" width="460" caption="Homemade Cleaners by Mandy O'Brien and Dionna Ford (Ulysses Press, $18)"]
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With over 150 recipes, O'Brien and Ford offer solutions for every room in the house, from the
kitchen to the bathroom, and cover all cleaning needs, from disinfecting to freshening. Here's one of the ladies' recipes for an all-purpose cleaner, a staple in any household. In it, the natural antibacterial capabilities of vinegar are heightened as they react with baking soda and are activated by heat from the warm water. It's quick to make and rivals commercial products. Give it a try!
AMAZING ALL-PURPOSE CLEANERIngredients:2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar 1 teaspoon liquid castile soap 2 tablespoons baking soda 2 cups warm waterDirections: Mix the first three ingredients, and wait for the baking soda and vinegar to stop reacting. Then add the warm water, and gently shake to mix well. Use on surfaces to clean and disinfect. You can make this up quickly any time you need it. Click
here for more info!
Do you have any recipes for a DIY home cleaner you can share?